Mazda Mud Guards

[7/31/2007] Reviewed by: Michael Austin

Decided to get these to try and keep the lower body cleaner
and free of rock chips. Fit and finish is outstanding! Directions are very complete
and installation straightforward. Did both in about 1 hour. Really does help
to minimize splash through puddles, and hopefully reduce rock chips.

These things fit perfectly! No fudging, no adjusting, no auguring
out holes to get stuff to line up. Wish all "bolt on" accessories were this
good. They are a bit expensive, but I found on-line for $150 delivered for both
front and rear. Looks good on the car, too! If you are thinking of getting a
new MX-5, consider getting the dealer to "throw in" a set of these as a freebee.
If you already have a car, then shop the on-line dealers in the vendor/sponsor
area of this site. Around $150.00 and you're doing pretty good! Highly recomended.
You really can put them on yourself. Only tools needed are an 8mm socket or
wrench, a phillips screw driver, and a pocket knife. The instructions seem a
bit over-done, but they are very, very good. Who'd a thought that mud flap bolts
had a torque spec or there was an after completion checklist? Like I said, I'm
impressed!

Under 30 minutes to remove completely

[3/22/2004] Reviewed by: Doug Russo
- dougrusso@charter.net

Applicable to: '99 +

Small Painted Mazda Rear Mud Guards

These mud guards are of high quality and are a perfect color
match. The installation on my 2001 was very easy and they look great. To install,
you remove a pre-cut plastic tab from the wheel well and mount using the provided
screws. It took less than 30 minutes for both. They successfully keep most of
the dirt off of the rear fender and prevent scratches from any stones that the
tires kick up. I ordered the guards from Trussville Mazda. Price, service, and
shipping were excellent.

The translated instructions and hard
to reference drawings make the project more difficult that it is. I removed
the wheels for ease of access. Why do Japanese companies continue to sell products
with poorly translated instructions? Someone in the Mazda corporate office could
improve the instruction sheet that comes with these mud flaps. Fortunately the
actual product is high quality. Once I figured out what type of fastener or
clip to use where, the job took about 10-15 mintues per mud flap. The rear are
easier than the front. One bonus of this install was discovering a mass of leaves
and other plant debris collecting at the bottom of the front wheel well mud
guards. I was glad to find and remove this stuff before it caused rust. Even
if you aren't going to install mud flaps, you should remove the plastic screws
holding the mud guards in place and remove any "stuff" that has collected
there. I try not to park under shedding trees, but obviously the pr! evious
owner of this '99 did.

The fit and finish matched my Silver 1999 great. The rear
set instructions were clear and it took little effort to install. The instructions
for the front set were close to. I guessed right eventually. The rears took
under 30 minutes to install, the fronts an hour.

I purchased the mud guards sets from Performance Buyers
Club for 51.95 ea., but they were dropped shipped from Roebuck/Trussville Mazda.
Arrived in 2 days with all parts. Look good. Quality parts.

Installed the rear ones. They went on simple and the directions
were very straight forward.

Paid the extra $10 and got them prepainted. They match the
car (red) nicely and look good. Screws and fasteners work as primary support
but double-sided tape holds curved surface to body. Instructions say use (white
gasoline) to clean for tape application.

I ordered the rear mud guards after noticing that a lot
of mud/water is kicked up onto the body by the rear tires. I decided not to
get the front guards because I might add side sills in the near future.

I ordered the guards from Puente Hills Mazda, out of the
Miata magazine. They had the lowest prices and their service staff was very
helpful.

Installation is a very easy, the instructions are pretty
clear, and the finished look is great. The mud guards don't keep everything
off the body, but they do function, and they make the rear end look a lot more
aggressive.

I was worried about the adhesive foam tape not holding the
guards flush against the body, but so far, after 3 months, there are no gaps
to be found.

Removal should be easy, but adheasive foam tape may leave
some residue.

Look great perfect color match not quite as easy to install
as older style but not too bad. Flaps seem to be a little smaller probably will
stop rock chips but do not keep the body as clean during a rain storm as the
older style did.

Mud guards that protect the body from mud and rocks thrown
by the tires.

I was very surprised to see that no one had reviewed the
mud guards for the Miata.

Immediately after getting my 1992 white Miata, I noticed
that the tires are very wide and sit several inches outside the wheel-wells.
This means that any rocks or mud that the tires threw up would chip my paint.
I shopped the internet and I found that the best price was at Roebuck Mazda.
I ordered the mudflaps, and after receiving them installed them in less than
a half an hour. They look great, and they protect the paint perfectly. In the
installation, all holes matched, and it was a very simple task.

I am extremely satisified with the mud guards and the service
that I received from Marshall at Roebuck Mazda. Some sources state that you
should paint the mud guards. This costs money, and I love the way the black
guards look on my white Miata.